Jannine
My name is Jannine, and I am a Christian lesbian.
I grew up in the Dutch Reformed Church; life was easy, things were good, and I believed I was in the right church. Or so I thought. As 'holy' as we considered ourselves, the community around us saw an exclusionary and backward sect, primarily focused on conforming to patriarchal values and deeply entrenched in capitalist practices.
Pronouns: she/her
Photo credit: Jannine archives
Alcoholism, sexual abuse, and domestic violence were absolved every Sunday when hefty donations were offered in exchange for salvation. I was 24 when I met my wife. My world was conveniently weaponized; people who claimed to love me also desired to see my love crumble, so that I would return broken-hearted, supposedly 'saved by the spirit.'
I was compelled to step back from the organization I had founded, ensuring its sustainability. This way, the women I had been assisting since I was 15 could still receive the financial support of a community that was paradoxically 'repulsed' by me.
However, the agony of their consistent remarks like 'I don't agree with it' and 'I'm praying for you,' coupled with the rampant use of cherry-picked texts to condemn me, only served to unveil the true essence of Jesus Christ.
Fast forward two years, and I'm moving forward by initiating 'Stories Against Stigma' (@stories_against_stigma), where I amplify the voices of those who have been harmed by the pervasive and punitive stigma. My goal is to inspire change and empower them as economic individuals, enabling them to combat the systemic and societal oppressions they encounter. Life is good. It isn't easy, and it never will be.
Yet, I have an amazing wife, three lively dogs, and each morning I awaken knowing that I am genuinely a child of God. With divine assistance, we are crafting an incredible life where we extend love to all, as we recognize that God loved us first.
Photo credit: Jannine archives
